He's beholden solely to bankers, war profiteers, other corporate favorites, and America's super-rich. He's harming others so they benefit.

His agenda reflects the worst of neoliberal harshness. It imposes misery. It makes conditions for growing millions intolerable. It's economically destructive. It shows what most people face.

Naked Capitalism's Yves Smith[1] is right calling the "budget battle" a scheme to "squeez(e) the middle class dry, and those who pretend otherwise are simply insulting the intelligence of their audience."

More on Obama's budget below.

The White House blog[2] turned truth on its head. It said it offers "a fiscally-responsible blueprint for middle-class jobs and growth."

It "replaces the across-the-board spending cuts….with smarter ones, making long-term reforms, eliminating actual waste and programs that are no longer needed."

He proposed "a host of good ideas." He wants spending cut "by about $1.2 trillion over a decade." He showed Republicans he's willing to "compromise." He put them "on the spot to do the same. Naturally (they) refused."

He wants social America destroyed. It's on the chopping block for elimination. He's robbing ordinary people to make privileged ones richer.

Slash and burn reflects policy. ObamaSpeak masks it. He claims he's "willing to make tough choices that may not be popular within my own party, because there can be no sacred cows for either party."

He wants Medicare cut $400 billion over 10 years. Hundreds of billions were cut earlier. Expect much more ahead. Means testing Medicare and Social Security looms. So does privatizing federally mandated programs.

Obama proposed a Social Security COLA. He wants it based on chain-weighted CPI. It's a scam. It's the latest gimmick to destroy benefits.

It assumes when prices on some products rise, consumers choose lower-cost substitutes. Perhaps so for steak v. hamburger.

It doesn't hold for rents, other housing costs, transportation, gasoline, electricity and other energy costs, as well as medical expenses highest late in life.

These expenses hit ordinary people, especially seniors, hardest. According to The Senior Citizens League[6] (SCL), retirees stand to lose over $18,000 in benefits over their lifetimes. "All seniors, whether already retired or not," will lose out.

Small annual cuts accumulate to thousands of lost dollars over a lifetime. Cutting benefits erodes buying power. Doing so devastates seniors on tight budgets.

Contrary to false claims about no one over age 55 affected, "chained" CPI takes effect immediately if enacted. COLAs will be cut 0.3% annually. Possibly much more in high inflation years.

Doing so adds up. Seniors with average benefits retiring this year stand to lose $18,634. It's an estimated 7% cut over a 25 year retirement. According to SCL chairman Larry Hyland:

"It's outrageous that a change that could put a significant dent in seniors' pocketbooks is being passed off as a minor technical adjustment."

"Seniors have already been watching the value of their benefits erode, to the point where millions of them are barely able to scrape by."

Medicare isn't the problem. Predatory healthcare providers drive costs higher. Universal coverage would change things. Cost control would follow. "Retirees wouldn't be paying a large and growing portion of their incomes for health care."

"Social Security and Medicare are the most popular programs ever devised by the federal government - and among the most successful."

"Together, they have drastically reduced poverty among the nation's elderly, one of the great triumphs of modern times."

Democrats used to defend programs too vital to lose. "Why should (they) now lead the charge against them?"

Obama's committed to do so. He wants social America destroyed. He wants more deregulation. He wants business able to operate regulation-free.

"I understand the challenges you face," he said. "I understand you are under incredible pressure to cut costs and keep your margins up."

"I understand the significance of your obligations to your shareholders and the pressures that are created by quarterly reports. I get it."

He doesn't "get" or give a damn about growing human needs. He's beholden solely to monied interests. He's their man in Washington. He hasn't disappointed.

He has lots more giveaways in mind. His budget includes "initiatives to support manufacturing communities, including a new tax credit to strengthen their ability to attract investments and jobs."

"And it expands my Administration’s SelectUSA initiative to help draw businesses and investment from around the world to our shores."

He wants social America gutted to provide corporate and super-rich elite benefits. He wants ordinary people hung out to dry. He wants retirees and others most in need hit hardest. He wants privileged ones alone served.

He wants public education destroyed. He wants it made another profit center. His budget attacks it. He wants liberal arts and other programs replaced with curricula addressing what employers need "to fill the jobs available right now and in the future."

They're largely low-pay/poor or no benefit/temp or part-time service jobs. Many households need two or more to get by.

Obama's neoliberal and hardline. He's unapologetic. He wants ordinary people abandoned. He wants them bearing burdens they didn't cause. He wants wealth, power and privilege alone served. He represents the worst of rogue governance.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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